Acqn. of Publishing License

FUTURE NETWORK PLC
10 September 1999


       Future acquires license to publish official
    Manchester United and Chelsea football magazines

The Future Network plc ('Future'), the video game, home
computing and other specialist consumer magazines
publisher, today announces that it has acquired the
worldwide license to publish the official magazines for
both Manchester United and Chelsea football clubs from
Zone.

The titles being acquired are Manchester United Magazine,
Glory Glory Man United and the Official Chelsea Football
Club Magazine.  Future already publishes its own football
magazine, Total Football.  This acquisition will make
Future the biggest publisher of monthly football
magazines in the UK, with monthly sales of over 175,000
copies.

Jane Ingham, Managing Director of Future Publishing UK
commented:  'This acquisition is directly in line with
our strategy of targeting specialist magazine markets
which are big on passion.  Football is without doubt one
of the most passionate subjects around at the moment.'

'This deal greatly strengthens our presence in the
football market in the UK and we will be seeking
opportunities to establish similar positions in other
overseas markets.  These club-specific magazines will
benefit from being part of the same portfolio as Total
Football, but will also benefit from being alongside
Future's other leading titles in mountain biking, video
games and computers, in particular our top selling
Official PlayStation Magazine, which has a similar target
audience.'


For further information:

Jane Ingham, Managing Director  Tel: [phone]
Future Publishing Limited

James Longfield                 Tel: [phone]
Hogarth Partnership


Background on The Future Network:

The Future Network was founded in the UK in 1985.  Since
this time it has become a leading international publisher
of video game, home computing and other specialist
consumer magazines and Internet web sites.  Future is the
leading video game and home computing magazine publisher
in the UK, France, Italy and the US.  Headquartered in
Bath, England, Future publishes over 100 titles worldwide
and employs over 1,400 people in offices in Bath, London,
San Francisco, New York, Paris, Milan and Munich.  Future
was floated on the London Stock Exchange in June 1999 and
has a current market capitalisation in excess of £700
million.

Background on Future Publishing:

Future Publishing is the UK arm and the largest division
of The Future Network.  With a portfolio of over 60
magazines, Future Publishing is the 4th largest publisher
in the UK by circulation, selling over 2 million copies
monthly.  It is also the fastest growing major publisher
in the UK, based on the 29% growth recorded from its
magazines that report half-yearly ABCs.  Future has
market-leading positions in the UK in video games,
leisure computing, mountain biking and now football.

Future's monthly audited football magazine sales:

Manchester United Magazine     88,445 (UK market leader)
Glory Glory Man United         34,544
Total Football                 33,980
Official Chelsea FC Magazine   20,000
                               
Total                          176,969